Vocaloid Song Series
by asymmetricalpasta03
Summary: Each one is based on a Vocaloid song. Storytellers are the original singers. This is one of few I will take requests on. Submit songs in reviews. I have about 5 premade stories, but I'm not posting them unless anyone wants me to, so if you'd like to see what else I've got, leave comments. Mini-summaries appear in italics at the start of each chapter.
1. The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku

_This is the first of my song series. It's pretty bad. Basically, pretend each story takes place in it's own seperate universe: very few of these are connected._

* * *

The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku

_ "What is death like?" I asked my big brother when I was very young and new._

_ "Death is when you can't see us and we can't touch you," he answered, handing me a cone._

We have a different word for death where I come from. They call it deletion. Then we have a form of purgatory called "rishaical bin." I was too young to understand it then. I had all of life ahead, or as close to it as I could reach, being, in essence, nothing but a voice. I thought back then I'd go on forever. I couldn't die; I was never alive.

I lived in Master's machine for about three years. He had taken much time to learn our language so he could use us. If I stood at the Folder's edge, I could hear our voices play over and again, but he seemed to like mine best, because I heard my voice most often. He loved me. He loved us all. And we all respected and loved him back (some of us more than others).

So, what was happening to me?

I woke in my room. It was still dark, but something had bothered me into consciousness. I pushed myself up on my arms and put my feet to the floor.

Only to find there were no feet.

_What?_

Where were they? Who – how? I tried to throw off my sheet. My hands were slowly disappearing as well, turning into bluish-silver mist by the illusion moon. My eyes widened in fear. I was going to vanish just like the mist, crawling up my limbs to my core. I couldn't do anything. I tried to stand, run to show someone who knew what was going on.

Naturally, without feet, running simply isn't possible. I cried out in anguish as I hit the floor, trying to get the attention of anyone roomed by me. They wouldn't mind once they saw me here like this, right?

Problem is, they couldn't hear me. It's not that they slept heavily. It's that I couldn't yell. I tried to call a name. Still no sound escaped. Finally, in a desperate attempt I started trying to sing. Nothing.

My voicebank was gone.

Was this how we died?

Would anyone notice I'm gone? At the rate I was vaporizing, there would be no body to discover lifeless on the floor. Would they even remember me? I never knew anyone deleted. Or did I know them, but have no memory of their entire existence? Too many questions; I started wishing my head would dissolve already.

I may have lain there minutes, hours, several dark days before I could no longer breathe; my nose had disappeared. The wait was horrible. As my eyelids started to mist away, I closed what was left of them and said a final goodbye to them all.

Then I fell on something hard.

I opened my eyes. My body had reassembled somehow. I was curled in the fetal position in a pile of paper. I got to my feet instead. I looked around myself. I saw hills. Then I turned to see the monitor. I'd never actually gotten this close to it; usually, I'm buried in the hard disk. Sitting there was a younger man with dark hair and glasses. Next to the giant desk was a stack of boxes. The face on top looked like Kaito-nii's. Not a flattering pose, but I digress. I looked around me at all the files in the clear bowl thing I was trapped in. I tapped on the side to get his attention, but he was far too busy dumping in more files around my head.

Pages upon pages fell in. Stale cookies were tossed around me for good measure. Old tunes fell down, singing their last few notes sadly, they too knowing what this meant for them.

Real days passed. From the dark monitor I could see the actual sun rise and set. Earth days take forever. I made stacks out of the files so they wouldn't bury me. I kept hearing the last songs float in and out of my ears as I climbed ever higher. I got to the top, within the last few meters realizing I could escape. I reached up to the rim, only to discover a glass ceiling. Files went in but they didn't seem to ever go out.

A little bar on the top by the rim kept track of how much space the rishaical bin took up. I knew vaguely how this worked. You are dumped in with everything else, and then when it exceeds disc space, pieces get trashed for good, starting with the oldest files.

It had been pretty empty when I arrived. And I was a big program, after all.

Ninety gigabytes. How does anyone collect that much stuff on a hard disk? Much less, how do you just decide to throw it all away?

And why me?

What had I done to displease the Master? I thought he liked my voice, that I did good work. What was this for? Was I being replaced? What about the others? Are they all being replaced? Had his interests simply changed? Are we taking up too much space? Is it something we did?

_I can change it, I swear! _I screamed in my head, still unable to talk. The counter was blinking above my head. A dialogue box popped up outside the bin, written in a strange language save the 10. Master looked at it and clicked the X in the corner. He brought the arrow-shaped force to the bin and tapped hard twice. He took the contents of another folder and dumped them in through the window. My voice cried out happily around me. I brought my face to my knees and cried. Song after song poured in, invading my ears and creating my misery. I turned to the window again. I saw my name next to an icon. The pointy force slid its way to the top of the window. A menu dropped down. I'd seen the word in English before: _delete_.

Another box popped up as a large dark hole opened up beneath the bin. Could he see this? I slapped the glass, trying to yell for him, for my friends, for anyone who would see, because I still could not speak. Terrified tears rolled down my face as he pressed another word I knew: _yes_.

_Please…make it stop._

The bin began to tilt as though in slow motion. I jumped from my stack as the glass ceiling opened. I fell on my leg; it twisted under my weight. I fell against the rounded clear wall and started to slide. Every song played again for its last performance. My voice echoed through my head as I reached the rim. I closed my eyes, squeezing out the last few tears.

_So this is how it all ends._ The songs' notes swirled below me. I felt nothing anymore. I looked to the desktop, behind which I thought my friends were still not noticing what was going on.

No more struggle.

_"Who will die first, you or me?"_

_ "I hope we all die together, Imôto." Aniki said as he took my hand._

"I love you. Farewell."


	2. Leia

_Requested by Hanata-chan. I had never heard of this song before the request, and can't say I took well to it, so it may not be the best. The narrator - if you're like me and didn't know about this song - is Megurine Luka. Requests are still welcome. Don't be afraid to critique my work. I may start posting the ones I already have done, just because._

* * *

Leia

She crept into my mind and let go when I needed her help the most. I couldn't see straight with her in my head. She told me she could make everything right. And I believed her. How foolish of me.

He was tall and gentlemanly. His hair may have been long, but that was for tradition, not rebellion. In him, I had the best boyfriend I could've asked for. No: actually he was better than I could've imagined. I held back on the romantic aspects of our relationship, and he respected that. He could tell I loved him without me saying it. I had everything I needed from this earth in this one man.

So, why did I let this happen?

He was equally tall, I suppose, with hair cut much shorter. He and I worked together, he longer than I. He kept flirting a little, which you'd think was natural. Sure, it was. What I never really was comfortable with was the fact that I kept flirting back. Soon, we had a little office romance going on, which in the confines of our workplace, was easy enough to keep hidden and under control.

Then he wanted to be "serious." Why was that? He was my coworker. But the better question was, why did I agree?

Finding time for a man in my full-time work was enough. But two? Ridiculous. I seriously doubted my ability to do it. As weeks went by, it got easier to juggle the two men. I saw my boyfriend on my off time, and my coworker in the printer room…usually on the printer. Then I hit a snag.

"Hey," Coworker said once. "What say you and I go out tonight?"

"Tonight?" I hesitated: I'd already made plans with Boyfriend. Neither man knew about each other, so I couldn't just pull out the "Taken" card. But I couldn't reject those eyes. I melted in his sight. "What do you have in mind?" Soon, he and I had an entire evening planned out, and me left explaining to Boyfriend why I had to cancel.

I sat in my room, my phone out, trying to figure out how best to tell Boyfriend I'd made plans with Coworker. I had to tell him it was professional, even though it wouldn't be. I'd probably end up in bed with Coworker. How do I explain _that_ to a man I've been seeing but won't even hold his hand? And going out in public…people talk. What if word got back to him? I had to think of something fast, else both men end up on my door and I go from two lovers to none.

Someone knocked at the door. I had a miniature heart attack. I went to get it, actually hoping it was Coworker who'd arrived early. I wasn't ready to go yet, but was I just to let them stand outside? I braced myself for the worst, trying not to think about if there were two angry, disappointed faces on the other side, and opened the door.

No one was there. I let myself breathe.

_Up here_. I looked up. _No, in your head._

Voices? Had I let myself get driven insane by this? Now I had to explain to both of them why I couldn't make it.

_Hey. Are you listening?_

"Who are you?" my conscience said to it.

_My name's Leia. I'm a visitor; like an invisible fairy .I heard you have a problem. I think I can help._

"Right. How?" I said out loud, closing the door.

_Well, you're obviously in need of an explanation. I can give you one._

"What?" How could I possibly get myself out of this one?

_All you need to do is tell your boyfriend you can't go because you're sick._

_ "_Sick? But I'm not sick."

_So? He doesn't know that._

"And why should I tell my boyfriend and not the other one? My partner in adultery?"

_Please,_ she said after a moment's silence. _We both know who you _really_ want to see tonight._

My text read: _came down with cold. staying in tonight._

_ Okay. Now get yourself ready._

I did. I put on my nice blue dress and prepared to walk out of there with Coworker. I must admit, I looked good. And when the door next knocked, I walked over to it confidently, ready to see what my night would be. I fantasized inappropriately about Coworker, and how we'd end the night. Well, if our escapades on the printer were any indication… I opened the door and received the shock of my life.

"Hi," Boyfriend said to me, holding a string bag of carrots in one hand and a can of…something in the other. My heart started racing when I saw him.

"Hi. What are you doing here? I thought I texted…" I said, becoming more and more anxious every second as he let himself in.

"Were you all ready before you realized you were sick? It's okay: we don't have to go out to have a great time together."

Why was I ever thinking about cheating on him?

I reached for my phone, and was about to feed the sick text to Coworker, when the door knocked again. As if I thought my heart couldn't go faster. I crossed my small apartment to my door, and, preparing for the worst, opened it. Worst mistake I ever made.

"Hey!" Coworker said. He took a deep smell. "You cooking?"

"Uh, no, actually, my…cousin, blew into town unexpectedly and, well, I just can't turn down family, now can I? He brought some of his sister's carrots, and I think he's making soup."

"So, he cooks? Hm…he'll make a girl happy one day."

"What?" Boyfriend said, looking back at Coworker. "Friend of yours?" he said suspiciously.

"He's a coworker."

"I think I'm a _bit _more than that," he said, laughing.

"A _good_ friend from work," I cut in. I showed him to the sitting room and returned to the kitchen.

"You know, you don't sound sick to me," Boyfriend noticed. My heart rate went back up.

"Uh…well, I took something for it, and…"

"Did you forget about tonight? Or is there a project you have to put in homework for?" How could he not guess I was seeing Coworker in addition to him? Or, did he just not want to?

"Look, I told him I was sick, and, like you, he wanted to check up on me." I wouldn't have come up with that on my own.

_You're welcome_, I heard Leia say.

I ate my soup in silence, and since the men didn't know each other, they followed suit. I wanted to avoid lying any more than I had to, and figured keeping my mouth shut would do it best. I couldn't keep this up for much longer.

"What do I do?" Conscience asked Leia silently.

_We'll see. I've got this. Don't worry. We finish here and then I leave._

All three of us soon finished. Boyfriend then stood and took the dishes. "No," he said as I reached for them, "I'll get these. You'll get to bed."

"You heard the man," Coworker said, taking my hand and leading me to the other two doors. I opened the one to my small bedroom and Coworker shut the door behind him.

"No, we can't: I'm sick."

"Never stopped you before, and you've come in for work worse than you look now." He pushed me to the bed. Soon, I felt the bed turn into our new printer, ready to bear witness to all kinds of new adventures.

But, the bed wasn't he only one.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY GIRLFRIEND?"

"Shit!" I screamed in my head as Coworker got off of me to face Boyfriend. Boyfriend's face was contorted in rage, while Coworker simply looked confused.

"What?"

"You dare to defile a lady that way?"

"Well, yeah. It beats doing it on the office printer."

"Leia!" Conscience screamed. Leia stayed silent.

"Printer?" Boyfriend said angrily.

"Wait. Did you just say she was your girlfriend? 'Cause I never heard about you. And we've been on the printer a lot recently. I thought she was my girlfriend. And," Coworker said, turning to me, "you're dating your cousin?"

"I'm not her cousin!"

"Well?" both said expectantly to me.

"I…I…" I needed Leia. She had the words to get me out of this.

_Thanks for the place for the afternoon, but I have to take off. Bye!_

"Oh, no, you don't!" Conscience yelled after her. But she was gone. I was on my own.

"How long were you seeing this guy?" Coworker asked.

"How long have you been doing this behind my back?" Boyfriend snarled.

"Were you ever going to tell me you were taken?"

"Is this why you never let me close?"

"Or was I just a potential replacement?"

"What did I do that wasn't good enough?" I looked right into Boyfriend's eyes at that. They say the eyes are the windows to the heart. The panes I was looking in were shattered. I had to look away: I couldn't bear to see him look at me like that again. I stood up, still sort of wearing my dress, and walked over to him, his head turned away so Coworker and I couldn't see his tears I knew were there. I put my hand on his chest. He turned and walked away. No matter what I tried, I'd never be able to hear from or see him again.

"You know how you say you know English and crap? Well, they have a word for people like you: _liar!_" He said it with an accent, so it sounded like _laia, _which sounded like another familiar word.

She was nothing but a liar. A girl made out of nothing but lies. It's why she was invisible. And I let her turn me into one, too.

"Good luck finding anyone who wants you after this. See you Monday," He said angrily before leaving me there. He even turned off my light, not caring that he left me in the dark, like I'd left him all those weeks I'd let him think it was him. I sank to my knees and cried for the three hearts I'd broken that night.


	3. Daughter of Evil

_Requested by Greensk8ergurl. Not too familiar with this series, but it's already in story form, so making it into fanfiction shouldn't be too difficult. This is fun :D Narrator is played by Kagamine Rin. As always, requests on this one are welcome._

* * *

Daughter of Evil

I quite literally ruled the world, or at least a corner of it. Through a set of…er…_circumstances_…I became the ruler of the country of Daidaiiro at the age of fourteen. I had ambitions, true, and quite a temper when they didn't listen to me. Why shouldn't they? Didn't I earn their respect?

"Servant, bring me some food," I said lazily to the teenage boy at my right hand. He was the only one to pay me any real respect, not just out of fear, so he received my mercy much more often than others. He returned within four minutes with a plate of brioche. He knew I liked it best.

I stood up in my high tower with my spyglass, to avoid walking with the filth I had the misfortune of governing. My castle laid not too far from our borders with Ao and Midori. I often would send my glass toward the Ao kingdom, trying to set my eye on the prince of their realm. He was tall and stately, his hair kept short enough to be appropriate, but long enough to blow when a breeze came past. The first time I watched it sweep across his face, I knew the man had taken my heart from me. I didn't want it back; all I wanted was a fair trade. I wanted his. But how to get it?

"We shall throw a gala, here, in this room," I said to my servants. "Invite all from the neighboring kingdoms: I don't want it too obvious what I'm trying to accomplish."

"Ojô-sama," my favored servant, the boy, said when the others had left and he took his spot at my right hand. "Exactly what _are_ you planning?" Only he could ask that question and come away with his life.

"Well, I'm coming into an age where we have to start thinking about what will become of my kingdom when I am gone."

"Ojô-sama, you are not so old to think about your death."

"No, not my death. But yes, my heir. The child who will take my place on the throne when I finally relinquish my grip on life. And perhaps the merging of two kingdoms."

"You seek a prince, my lady."

"Indeed."

"If I may be so bold, is there one you have in mind?"

"No, you may not be so bold," I snapped, an unfamiliar heat rising in my face.

A week later, the ball was held in my throne room. I placed my servants in places where they would be most useful to the guests. An orchestra was set up on a stage they built specifically for the event. I had to raise a sudden tax to pay for it, but in my opinion, if it was enough to impress Aoji-sama, it was worth the denizens' anger.

I walked around, trying to find him. I waited behind a column by the door to wait for him to come through. Surely enough, he came in. He'd never looked more majestic. He'd make a fine king. To my queen, of course. What was next was simple, follow him until I had him cornered and force him – er, _ask_ him to dance, where I'd then take his heart like he'd taken mine.

So, I emerged from behind my column and quickly discovered I'd lost track of him. Feeling anxious, I started to look around, dodging people who wanted to say hello and distract me from my goal. The crowd of nobles had their collective attention on something by the band. I stopped short of them, next to a woman with short green hair. I looked sideways at her, her gaze so intense it was as though she could see through the crowd.

"What are they looking at?" I demanded of her, just loudly enough to hear over the band.

"Oh, the prince of Ao. He's chosen his dance partner as my lady, the princess of Midori." She had the nerve to smile as she said it. "I believe they'll run a great joint kingdom – among other things," she giggled.

I wanted to scream at her, have her banished, banned, executed. And her princess. But I had no further energy for it. My rage boiled to the surface for two seconds, then crashed into something of depression.

"Daidaiiro-sama?" the green one asked, for I had bowed my head and let tears force their way through. I ran past her and through my back hallway. She was lucky. I was in no state to punish. The next ones, however, wouldn't be so fortunate. I ran to my chamber and began to scream. All my effort into this ball was for naught. He found his partner alright, but it was supposed to be me! I threw my pillows across the room, ripped the window dressings off their rack. I was throwing a tantrum like a child, and realized too late I had an audience.

"Ojô-sama." I whipped my head around. The boy was standing in my doorway. He was next. I had been too easy on him; perhaps that was the problem. Why it would be the problem, I could no longer tell you, but that was my thinking at the time. I took a candlestick from my table and advanced toward him, ready to strike. As I brought my hand down, he stepped back, and then forward, ensnaring my limbs in his own and bringing me forcefully to the floor. He shoved my head into his chest and started stroking my hair.

"Ojô-sama…Onee-sama…" I cried into his shirt. I suppose I can tell you now that another reason he was treated so well compared to the rest was because he was my little brother. He reminded me seldomly, and I nary remembered it. He loved me, I knew, and would do anything to make me smile. And that's when _it_ hit me.

"Servant," I said to him the next day as he stood next to me. I got to my feet and took him to our dungeon. We rarely used it anymore, in favor of an off-site jailhouse, but it still had vestiges of its dark past down in the dark. I led him to a room obviously used for torture in its day. I rummaged through a drawer, then four more, before finding what I was looking for. I held it out to him: a rusty dagger, still with traces of blood along its blade and coagulated in the hilt. He didn't flinch, but he didn't take his eyes from it either.

"Take it." He followed the order. "Now you are to go to the nation Midori, keep that hidden. Say you are there on my behalf and request a private audience with their princess. I know of this girl: she won't refuse. Then you are to take the blade there and push it through her heart. I want this done no later than Thursday night. Understood?"

He nodded slowly. I could tell he didn't like what he heard, but I knew him well enough that he wouldn't say no. And so what if he did? I'd just have to lock him up and find someone who would.

It would be perfect. With her out of the way, I there would be no better person, no noblewoman fairer for miles around than me. I'd wait out the kingdom's mourning period, being careful not to make plans for the anniversary of her death, and I'd have my in. Then I'd come in and sweep him off his feet.

The news came to Daidaiiro Wednesday morning: the princess of Midori had been killed. The neighboring nobles had come to pay their respects. I couldn't do it; in my jealousy I couldn't show my face at her funeral, lest I get sick on her corpse. Unfortunately, I didn't know what suspicion that provoked in Midori. As the only local kingdom absent, they began to talk about my role in her death. I told them I was busy. But they weren't interested in that story.

One crazy person from the neighboring kingdom – said he was a guard when he requested my audience – said he knew exactly what happened. He pointed to Servant and said he knew he did it. He said he figured he wasn't smart or ambitious enough to think of it on his own and named me the mastermind of the operation. I became tense. He said I had a day to confess to both nations what I'd done, then dismissed himself.

Sure, I was worried. I knew there was something I must've forgotten. Or perhaps that my idiot brother-servant wasn't the right man to keep the mission discreet. I had to think of something and quickly. This was the best plan I had for thinking about it two hours. I had to confess or he'd do it for me.

But…what if he was unable to confess?

That Saturday morning, Daidaiiro was outraged. The small nation next to us was burned and broken. Screams filled the air that even I couldn't sleep through. The destruction had awoken my citizens at the border. They all stayed in their homes, knew well enough that if they were going to catch it, they had to be invisible. And caught it they did. Their countrymen, who they knew worked as my direct subordinates, came through the lane, dragging back their weapons of destruction. They were attacked. I had sent out forty footsoldiers. Three returned to my fortress.

You could smell the rebellion in the air. The townspeople were furious at the actions I had put on these people. An articulate woman, who called herself the Red Knight, used her words to get the people on her side. She instilled a bloodthirst in them. She directed their fury at the highest office in the land: the monarch, or as she preferred to say, the tyrant. The one who had been tormenting them for over two years, when the throne was taken over by a twelve-year-old who knew nothing about the correct way to rule. The one who raised taxes without warning, refused vital trades, did nothing to relieve droughts or floods. Who wouldn't lift a single finger if it meant saving a life in their God-forsaken kingdom. In other words, me.

The militia stood outside at sunrise. Men and women of the town prepared to die if it meant liberating the survivors. Excepting the juvenile and the elderly, every citizen of Daidaiiro had a weapon in his hand and a fire in his stomach, ready to torch the establishment to the ground.

The guards saw them coming, and sympathized completely with them, letting them pass. When they forced their way into the throne room, they saw their target sitting prettily in her big chair. They took the target without a struggle, locked it away. They declared a day of independence, of victory.

They talked about how they were going to deal with the tyrant. Kill her, they said. No mercy, like she never showed. Who cares if she is just barely into her adolescence?

The execution was to be at 3 in the afternoon on the next possible Tuesday. No one went to work as they dragged their dictator up to the guillotine. They thrust in her head, cheering. They watched the head turn upward and look at the giant blade. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she was on her knees. The executioner looked at her expectantly, perhaps waiting for her last words. So she gave them to him, the crowd, but mostly the wooden platform where she faced.

"Well, look at that. Time for my snack."

They say a flower grows directly under the guillotine on the platform, fed by the blood that leaked through the cracks in the board. A flower grows, yellow like her hair. Needing no sunlight but sustaining on the grass around it, as she sucked the life out of her citizens, her servants, and most especially her final victim, who they call her own brother. Perhaps the rumors are true. But I don't believe for a second that a flower feeds on my blood. It was dark the last I remember. I looked up at the platform and sighed. I bowed under the black cloak, shielding me from sight while I wore clothes that weren't mine and stole away in the darkness, away from those who for the moment had their taste for vengeance satiated.

* * *

_The country names are puns on their colors. Daidaiiro is orange (i figured Rin was closer to orange since it's her character item), midori is green, and ao is blue. Ojô-sama is the best translation I found for queen. The hint at the end are for the sequel to the story, which is from a different P.O.V._


	4. Reon

_Request by Hanata-chan. This is the response to "Leia." So, why not write letters? Narrator again is Megurine Luka. I'll probably try to upload one of these every night through 26 August, because I start classes the next day. Then I don't know how often i can get them out. Anyway, I'm still taking requests, but there's a waiting list, so you might not see yours for a while._

* * *

Reon

My days at work were strained. My nights at home were lonely. I kept thinking about my mistakes. The stupid things I said, trying to keep peace in a two relationships that were doomed from the moment I laid eyes on my attractive coworker.

About a week after the incident, I received two letters, one in my inbox at work and one through the mail. I refrained from opening it until I got home, where I received the second one. I set them both out on the table. Two letters: One from each man, reading the return label in the corner. I opened the one from my ex-boyfriend first.

_There are so many things I wanted to say to you that night, but none of them would've made the situation any better. _

_I should've known something was going on. You'd been changing. You always had a lack of wishing to be, we'll say, intimate with me, but it was becoming extreme in the weeks leading up to last Friday. I don't know what made his hand more pleasing to the touch than mine. _

_I was also wondering, what had I done that drove you into his arms for that type of attention? If you had actually wanted that kind, I would've gladly given in. Had I never made it clear I wanted you to be happy? That I was the one who wanted to do it? To be with you, provide for you? I had a clear vision of what I wanted us to be. _

_After our trip, I was making plans to ask you to be my wife._

I dropped the paper. I couldn't read it anymore. I was crying hearing I hurt and disappointed him from his own pen. That last statement drove me over the edge. He wanted it to be forever. I'd been with him so long, he was starting to believe it was possible. I couldn't take what he had to say anymore. I picked up the other letter.

_Sorry you had to get this this way, but I really didn't want to see you. I might start thinking about "what ifs" and whatnot, so I think this is best._

_I guess this was partially my fault. I never asked if you were available; I just assumed on your reaction to me you were. I should've noticed something was wrong when you never wanted to see me after work. You wanted the "office romance" kept in the office. I guess I understand that now._

_I know your feelings for me were fake, so I guess there's no reason to tell you mine weren't. At least, not when Friday happened. No reason at all. I know we'll have to work together still, so I want there to be as little awkwardness as possible, okay? But I also want to see you as little as possible. Only work together when the Boss says so. I really think it's best if we stop seeing each other at all. _

_I hope I didn't ruin things too badly with your boyfriend. And if I did, I guess here's where I tell you if I'd known about him from the start, we would never have gotten this far. I can't imagine him wanting to be with you after that. But I'm not taking all the blame for this._

No point in going farther…he just put a short closer and signed his name. I had honestly thought about quitting my job so I wouldn't have to see him anymore. Moving. Getting a new place and new job far from here. From my mistakes. From both of them.

I picked the other letter back up.

_After our trip, I was making plans to ask you to be my wife. We'd been together so long, I was certain you felt the same way I did. Perhaps as my wife, you'd let me in more. Perhaps even that wouldn't have been enough to stop you from seeing him. He must have something I don't that you see and I can't. _

_I had dreams for our life, you know? I suppose that's all they ever were. I had to say it to you, before I cut all my ties completely. I'm taking my heart back; I'll leave it to heal for a while. The only thing I still don't know, can't guess, was how long were you seeing him? Who is the intruder in the relationship? I'm starting to think it was me, seeing as I was kept distant and he so close. I would never have minded you leaving me for someone else. The problem lied in the fact that you never left. _

_I hope you two are happy. I can't do anything else. And, congratulations on how you kept him hidden. I really had no idea, not even when it was right under my nose in your kitchen._

I smashed the letter in my fist. Why were these two talking to me if they never wanted to see me again? I thought for a moment. Just their final peace, I guess. I sighed. I took both letters and threw them in my waste bin.

How long _had _I kept it hidden? That question of my ex's still bothered me long after I tossed the letters. Of my coworker's: why didn't I tell him about my boyfriend from the start? Just how long had Leia been hiding silently inside my head? Or…was she just a figment of my imagination, run out when I was out of ideas myself? Which meant…I was Leia, and this was my fault all along. A girl made entirely of lies...

A scapegoat I made to protect myself from truth? How sad...apparently I can't do anything except lie, even to myself. No use in musing over it now, I suppose. I walked over to bring my trash out and could've sworn I heard a laugh very close to me.

* * *

_Sorry this was bad, but I couldn't think of anything better. I'm really not sure what these two songs were about, so this is all guessing. When the song doesn't tell the whole chronological story, stuff gets made up in the process._


	5. Adolescence

_No request: I wrote this one a while ago. I'm posting it to be able to say, this one probably won't get updated for a while. My inspiration for the requests is running out a bit, and I start school in just over a week. I will get around to the requests I have: they're first on my list. I guess I can take new ones, but don't expect to see them up for a while. Anyway...I saw a video of this one and removed as much of the shipping as I could (not a big RinXLen fan: I prefer the brother/sister theory). Narrator is Kagamine Len. My next Vocaloid project is going to be either a high school one-shot collection or a Shakespeare crossover type thing, so if you feel like, check those out. See you in my next idea, or my next chapter if you so prefer. Ok: end of long intro._

* * *

Adolescence

We had always been close. Of course we were: she was my twin sister; you don't get any closer than that. We were never apart. We played together. We walked together. We were always in the same class. We even slept together. Most of the time, I never even remembered my sister was a girl. She really wasn't. With her, brother and sister meant nothing. We were just siblings. More importantly, she was my best friend.

So, if that was true, what was this new thing standing before me?

I woke up after her one morning. We were fourteen then, toward the end of junior high. She stood in front of the chest of drawers and kept staring at herself in the mirror. She only had on half her uniform; she wore a weird, sort of half-shirt over her chest.

I had to ask. "What on earth are you wearing?"

She jumped and snatched her sailor top off the foot of the bed, pushed it against her to cover herself (rather than just wear the shirt like normal people). As she blushed, she turned back to the mirror, started pulling the shirt over her head and said, "It's called a bra. Girls wear it for their breasts."

I puzzled for a second. "But you aren't a girl." She threw darts at me threw the mirror. "What I meant was, you don't have breasts."

"Do so. Look," she said, lifting her shirt. Two little bumps were poking out of her. Apparently the term breast was used loosely.

"All those mean is you're fat. Exercise more; they'll go away."

"Funny."

That was how a bad day started. I pulled on my uniform and we walked to school together. Nothing changed really. Except how I saw my sister.

I had started noticing girls as being something other than classmates and pests. I was thirteen; that was natural. All I used to know was girls were short and wore skirts with their uniforms. Nowadays, I started wondering what made girls different that they wore skirts. Why were they girls and I a boy? These questions didn't bother me for all of my childhood. But I sort of wanted to know now.

Moreover, what made a sister different than a brother? I think it took me this long to realize my sister wore the girls' uniform. I looked at her weirdly all day. Was the way I thought about some girls the way some creep thought about my sister? Well, there'd be none of that.

We went home, up to the same room, like always. Sister started taking off her uniform as soon as I closed the door. I went for the button to my shirt, but stopped. Why? What was keeping me from taking it off?

She looked at me, arms still in her sleeves. "What? Do you like your uniform that much, bro?" she laughed.

"I'll…just step out for a minute, okay?" I left.

"What was that?" I breathed, talking to myself. I never had a problem with that before. Why did it bother me now to see my sister undress? Why was I reluctant to do so in front of her? She never cared either.

The door opened, pushing me slightly. I turned my head to see hers poked out. "Do you want me to leave?"

I didn't answer. I didn't want her to know my feeling toward her had changed. She wasn't just my sister now, she was a girl. She blinked at me.

"'Cause I'll leave, if you want, while you do it in there." I went in. She stepped out.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked later as we laid together.

"You just did."

"What happened earlier? Why did you change so suddenly?"

I stayed quiet. "Hey. Don't make me exercise the Onee-chan powers on you."

I thought for a minute about how to put it. "Do you notice boys, Sis?"

"Sometimes. You mean like _notice_, right?" I nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"You know I'm a boy, right?"

"Yeah."

"Doesn't it bother you, that I'm one of the things you notice?"

"You mean you're like them. Because I've never noticed you like that."

"Okay."

"You don't notice _me_ like you see other girls, do you?" she said, obvious alarm in her voice.

"Well, no, but it does bother me that one day I'll be married to something that functions just like my sister."

"Please," she said. "Nothing functions like I do."

"Yeah." We went silent for a minute.

"Hey."

"Hm?"

"Is this about my bra? You weren't acting like this before I started wearing it."

"Sort of. I guess. Because it's a girl thing. You never had it before, so it never really hit that my sister was a girl."

"Thanks."

"It was better then. Before you were a girl."

"I've always been a girl."

"But not to me. You used to be my sibling, never really my sister. And I liked it that way, when I could tell someone you were my sister and it never really meaning anything in my head. It used to be you were my best friend, not some girl."

"So, because I'm a girl, we can't be friends?"

"No."

"Bro, you're not making sense." She looked up at the ceiling. "And you're changing, too."

"How? I have no breasts."

"No, but your voice is deeper now, and your shoulders are becoming a little wider."

"We used to be the same."

"Not really, if you really think about it."

"Well, yeah, there was always _that_, but it was never really something I thought about, since I never saw it. I can see those," I said, pointing at her chest.

"Barely. All this thing does is makes it less weird when I actually have to wear one."

"It'll never be less weird."

"I meant for me." Of course she did.

We went quiet, and the next thing I knew it was morning. I opened my eyes. Sis was still sleeping next to me. I went to shake her awake, but couldn't for some reason. I realized I hadn't touched her all of the previous day. I kept bringing my hand closer to her arm, but couldn't touch her. I closed my eyes and dropped my hand on her shoulder. Then I shook her harder than normal, wanting this over with as quickly as possible. Then something flew in my face and knocked me backward off the bed. I hit the floor hard and groaned.

"I'm up, jarhead."

I got up and scavenged for my uniform pieces, then left to put them on, leaving her to put hers on alone as well.

"You know, I looked the same last year, and last week. I still don't get the sudden change," she said on the way to school.

"Things are just different now."

"Think of how different they'll be next year in high school, or as adults. We'll keep changing. Does that mean we'll keep drifting? I won't let that happen. I don't care what happens – I _will not_ lose my best friend to these stupid adolescent changes! I love you too much to let that happen!"

"Nothing will change, Sis!" I said, putting my hands on her shoulders.

Tears filled her eyes as she threw me off. "They already have!" she screamed as she took off at a sprint across the street.

She refused to look at me all day. People asked if we were fighting. I told them she was mad about something, but not what. She went to her older friend's house after school, leaving me to walk home alone. I had walked to friends' places without her, but she'd always had somewhere to go with her friends, too. We'd never walked past the corner store road without each other. But here I was, walking by myself, still not entirely sure at the time what I'd done to upset Sis.

I laid up by myself all evening waiting for her. I eventually dozed off from being horizontal for so long. I had a weird dream about us in a few years. She had changed even more, but we were acting like we did in grade school. She still had no problem dressing in front of me. She used to be my shape. Now she was shaped like a woman, all curved and figured. I stood in the mirror behind her. Like she said, my shoulders were wider. I was now even taller than her than I was now. But nothing was weird. I had no problem. Well, dream me didn't, anyway.

I woke in the small hours. Sis had come home, apparently late: she was still in uniform. Her arm was draped over my chest. I moved it and sat up. She didn't even put her hair down. I took her ribbon out; I knew she hated sleeping with it. She unconsciously waved my hand away as I slid it off her head. I smiled at her and tucked her hair behind her ear like I'd see Dad do before. She didn't even try to stop me then. I got out of bed and walked to the window.

There was nothing wrong with her being like that. Her body was becoming different, not her. The dream showed me it could be normal.

"Something botherin' you?" a voice behind me asked sleepily.

"Nah. Sleep. When did you get in, anyway?" I said, crossing the room and sitting back in bed.

"Late. Real late. Like, after dark and everything. Obasan was pissed." She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Ah, look. I'm still in my clothes. I must've been tired." She fell back. I laid back with her.

The next day I acted as normally as I could. Sis had finally gotten the message that no matter how much the relationship was the same, it still bothered me to watch her dress. Other than that, nothing had changed at all.

So, now that I'd finally gotten past what was going on with her, I could focus on what was going on with me. Even through that all, I hadn't forgotten to notice the other girls in class. They started to bother me more than Sis did. But this was different.

So, what happened when you got too close to a girl? Forget that, how do you do it? There was a great question.

That question kept me up that night. I kinda wanted to experiment it. See what would happen. The problem was, when I tried, something in me kept me from it. I was no good with girls. Well, that wasn't entirely true.

I looked back at my sister as she slept. I walked around her side of the bed. I said earlier some creep probably thought about her just like I thought about the other girls. As I looked at her, I could almost see what the creep saw. She was a fairly attractive girl (which meant I was good, too). I wondered if that would be wrong, to put myself in the creep's shoes.

I hated the position. I kind of straddled her so she was laying between my limbs. I closed my eyes, readying myself for this experiment. It meant nothing, I kept saying in my head. I peeked through my eyelashes, making sure I hit my mark. And in the middle of the night I kissed my sister as a stranger. It was such a strange thing, I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to do it, unless it was just strange because she _was_ my sister. Then I pulled from her after I felt I had the data for it. I opened my eyes to see her.

Her blue eyes were boring right into mine.

I think I was stuck, or I would've jumped right off of her that instant. She reached up to my shoulder and pushed me off on the other side of the bed.

_I can explain_. Or I could if anything on me was functioning. She gathered one of the blankets around her shoulders and took it over to the window seat, where she curled up in a ball and fell back asleep.

Now tell me we can keep things the same.

By the time I woke up, she was gone from the room already. I made it to the front door. She was waiting for me. She wasn't smiling as usual when she saw me.

"I can explain," I finally said halfway down our block.

"Please."

"I was experimenting."

"What? Practicing your techniques? I'm a practice girl now?"

"Well you were the best I had at the time!"

"Couldn't have waited until after school today?"

"I meant at this point in my life. I don't have any girls I'm confident enough to do that to."

"So when you're ready for sex, I should let you practice that on me too."

"Don't be ridiculous, now you're just being nasty." I said coldly.

"Hm. See, now you think I'm angry, don't you."

"You sound it."

"Not really. I'm just a bit creeped out by it."

"I just wanted to see what it was like. I don't think I can expect that feeling when I do it to a real – no, let me – to another girl."

"Okay. I'm still not mad. Besides, that may have been what we needed."

"What?"

"A secret. We haven't had one of those in a while. Here," she held out her littlest finger. "I won't talk about it again if you don't. And _never do it again_."

"Right." I looked at it.

"I'm not going to eat you, I swear! I'm not mad. That's what this is all about, to me. Discovering and experimenting with our new selves. I wanted to make the journey with you anyway. Just not like that."

I took her finger. "Fine. But, seriously, it was just a test. It meant nothing."

She looked puzzled. "What meant nothing?" She winked.

I knocked hard on her door. "Are you ready yet, Sis? We'll be late!"

"I'm over here." I turned. She was standing in the hallway, tying her old white ribbon on top of her pinned back hair.

I think everything happened so gradually from that point on that I stopped noticing her differences. We were second year high school students now. So, it was to be assumed she was different than she was in junior high. I wouldn't have noticed without a picture. Back then her clothes could sort of hide what she was becoming. I think they still could, but now she didn't want to hide it. We were sixteen then. She looked like she did in the dream I had all that time ago, all womanly. I never asked how different I looked.

A day passed like normal. This year we were in class again together. Freshman year we were apart for the first time since…ever. I sat way in front; she sat more in the middle by the window. I hated being separate.

We slept separately now; that "thing" kinda cemented it was time for us to separate a little now. I kept some stuff in her room, though, and she kept some in mine. Aside from that, nothing had changed. We still shared everything (some stuff now I _really_ didn't want to hear about) and we did plenty together.

So in our case, growing up didn't mean growing apart.

I came out from washing my hair and went across the hall to my room. Sis was standing in her doorway.

"Night," I said.

"Can you come in here?"

"Why? Scared of something?"

"No…just come in here." I followed her in and she sat on her bed. She got to keep the old room. She jerked her head next to her at the empty space.

"No."

"Please."

"Sis, no. We're too old."

"It's been two years."

"There was a reason for that!"

"Come on or I'll make you."

"You can't use the Onee-chan powers on me anymore."

"Watch me."

"Sis, it was ten minutes. We're sixteen. It doesn't matter that much anymore."

"You're just saying that because you're the little brother." She slapped the sheet next to her.

I woke up to her in my face. I had given in. I think secretly, I wanted to be with her as much as she wanted to be with me. I put my arm around her. Without opening her eyes she put hers around me. I smiled at her and looked at the clock.

"Hey, Sis, we'll be late."

"Who cares."

We wound up racing each other to school. Yes, it was to avoid being late, but I liked the game. I had my best friend back for a while, the way it used to be. Her and me. I guess we hadn't really changed.


	6. Servant of Evil

_Request by Greensk8ergurl. Sequel (?) to "Daughter of Evil." Narrator is Kagamine Len. I know it's been a while since an update, but now that school's back in, I can't crank these out like I was at the start. I'm still taking requests, but they won't get done very quickly. And lighter songs are acceptable, too: all these seem to be pretty depressing and dark. Though if you _want _to request dark ones, that's okay. Just don't expect anything new for this for a while._

* * *

Servant of Evil

We were born within an hour of each other. Of course, she being older, she would be the one to take over when the time came. I never minded; I didn't have the temperament for a ruler.

It was apparent from an early age my sister was ambitious. She would always speak about when she'd rule, and how her kingdom would be. She spoke fluently and with such charisma…I often found myself talked into a lot of stuff that I knew was wrong. But I probably would've done it anyway. All I ever wanted to do was make her genuinely happy. What brother doesn't want to see his sister smile?

I got the news on the eve of my thirteenth birthday: My parents were dead. Killed in their sleep, rather horrifically, their throats cut. I had trouble containing my tears, but through them I could see my sister being told the same news with a face of stone. Then they mentioned the fate of the kingdom, and how there would have to be a new king. They said the next heir was my sister, and she would take the throne in the morrow, when she was thirteen. She nodded, not blinking once. I knew what had happened in an instant. I told her my suspicions when they had walked away.

She threw her head to the side and smiled her large, overly-faked grin. "And that will stay our secret, right?"

I had to tell. But I was so conflicted. My sister was a murderer? But I knew what would happen to her if I told. But I couldn't _not_ tell.

"If it does?"

"You, my brother, will be a trusted advisor and servant. Get to stay in the castle."

I narrowed my eyes. "And if it doesn't."

Her grin grew wider and she closed her eyes, cocking her head to the side. "No one speaks out against the queen and keeps their head. Of all people, you, younger brother, ought to know that." On that note, she skipped away.

A year and a half passed. My sister had grown ruthless and insane with her power. But something else had changed as well. She would retreat to her tower for hours on end, then come back down with a much improved disposition. I could not figure out what was causing this, but I wanted it to go on forever.

She called us, the servants, all down to discuss something one afternoon during this period. She said she wanted a grand ball held in her throne room the following weekend. "Invite all from the neighboring kingdoms: I don't want it too obvious what I'm trying to accomplish."

Ahh…she _was_ hiding something. The others set off to immediately start the preparations, while I took my spot at her right hand. I looked at her. I asked what she was up to. She was speaking about her heir. But no fourteen-year-old girl – not even one with such foresight as my sister – thought about her child. All she thinks about is the process. A young lady wants love, no matter how cold she was. So, that must've meant…

"You seek a prince, my lady."

"Indeed."

Here's where I decided to tread in a dangerous water. "If I may be so bold, is there one you have in mind?"

"No, you may not be so bold." Her face became red and she looked away, arms folded. I decided it was best if I dropped the subject.

The night of her gala came in. As the rest of the servants, I was stood in a spot with a tray of food on little picks, waiting to serve all those who came by. The Violet lady and her Knight came by and said hello, all the way from Murasaki. From our sister nation came the duchess of Kiiro. And then she came over.

The princess of our neighbor Midori.

I knew she was coming, but I never actually saw her. Something invisible hit me in my gut and I nearly dropped my tray. I regained my balance, only to look up and see her approach. She was a sight to behold. Her long teal hair was tied back in twins and she walked with a grace unlike anything I'd ever seen. She came over and took one of the picks, sticking the morsel on the other side between her smooth pink lips. She placed the stick back on the tray with the other discarded picks and smiled at me. I felt myself blush. She wouldn't leave.

Then she spoke. Her voice was high and fluttery, leaving a similar feeling in my core. I didn't even actually hear what she said.

"Excuse me?"

"Huh?" I said stupidly. She was still looking at me.

"I said, this doesn't look like a very fun job."

"Oh…" I looked at my feet. "Well…it's okay. At least it's simple. A fool could do it!" What was I implying about myself? I tried to pull my foot out of my mouth and said, "Plus, I get to hear the band play, and pretend I'm dancing."

"Oh," she said, smiling again. "Well, perhaps you should see me later. Toward the end when your tray is empty. I can dance with you. I rather like it."

Words escaped me. She _wanted_ to dance…with _me_? The servant? It wouldn't be allowed. So, like an idiot, I just laughed and said, "I'm afraid that's not possible, or proper."

"Oh, it's a party! I don't care what's _proper_. And, besides, it's just a dance!" And with that, she finally left.

_How stupid can you be?_

My tray did eventually run out. So, I stood off to the side, hoping the princess would come back. I would do it right this time. She didn't come back. There was a rather big crowd gathered in the center of the throne room. I went to one of the guests, a lady with hair palest blue. She was looking up over the crowd on her toes, seeming excited and jealous at the same time.

"My dear gentlewoman," I said to her. She looked at me.

"What can I answer you, knave?" she said, smiling.

"What is happening? In the center?"

"I can't see it." I offered her a hand. She stepped on my hand and I lifted her frame up. She gasped and grinned hugely. I brought her back down. She looked at me.

"It's the prince of Ao! I heard he was looking for a partner! He's dancing with the princess of Midori! I think he may have found who he's looking for! You should've seen his face! Oh, perhaps my friend and I can lift you." She cast her head around, looking for her friend.

I waved her down, my heart sinking lower by the second.

"I really think he'll take her!" the girl kept saying.

I shrugged, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "It might be just a dance."

"Oh, don't ruin it with that attitude!" she scolded playfully.

I nodded once and walked away. The gala was to end in a half hour. There was no point in me getting another tray, so there was also no point in sticking around a party I technically wasn't invited to, just to watch my heart slowly break. I walked over to the throne. It was vacant. As the crowd dispersed, I noticed my lady was nowhere in it. I went to the Violet Knight and asked him if he'd seen her.

He looked down at his princess and asked her the same thing. Both said they hadn't seen her for a while. I grew concerned; while fairly certain that nothing would happen to her, I was more worried about her being on her own with her dangerous mind. I went to the logical place: her tower. I grew more anxious with each step I took up her winding staircase. The top of the flight led to her bed chamber. I opened the door.

I heard terrible screaming coming from inside. I flung it open all the way. My lady was in a horrible fit: her belongings were being flung across the room. The curtains were ripped from their rods. She herself was a frightening sight. Her hair was falling out of its knot and it was apparent when she turned around she had been crying. She looked deranged…more so than usual.

"Ojô-sama," I said loudly. She cocked her head to one side, as she was so prone to doing. She stared at me, contemplating her next move. It was not a good one to which she came to a conclusion. She took up a candlestick from the table, causing all seven tapers to fall to the desk and floor. It was apparent she was going to use it for battery as she started toward me. Unfortunately for her, I had gotten rather good at dodging her over the years. I took one step back as she brought her weapon toward my head, then advanced quickly before she could bring it back up. I pinned her arms to her side as I brought mine around her. I fell to my knees, dragging her with me.

"Ojô-sama…Onee-sama…" I said, petting her hair, trying to just console her into calming down. I think in that second, I figured out what the entire goal of tonight was. While my jealousy was depression, hers was rage. She wanted the prince of Ao. I wanted the princess of Midori (even though I knew damn well I couldn't have her). We were both unsuccessful in our goals. But, see, my sister was not used to not having things go her way.

"Servant," she said to me the next morning. She stood and led me to the tower entrance, but down the other stairs. I had a bad feeling I knew where she was taking me.

Surely enough, we were headed to the dungeon. I could tell by the iron smell the old blood was giving off. I gagged on the scent. It was as if my sister couldn't smell it. She led me to one of the torture rooms and I immediately considered running. Unfortunately, with my sister, it was a "damned if I do, damned if I don't" sort of deal. So, I stayed.

She picked out her tool: a rusted dagger, still covered tip to hilt with blood. I kept my eyes on it as she held the instrument out.

"Take it." I did as told. "Now you are to go to the nation Midori, keep that hidden. Say you are there on my behalf and request a private audience with their princess. I know of this girl: she won't refuse. Then you are to take the blade there and push it through her heart. I want this done no later than Thursday night. Understood?"

I couldn't. Not only wasn't I capable of the murder, I surely couldn't do it to the girl I liked that much. But I loved my sister too. I knew what she wanted to accomplish: she wanted the princess of Midori out of the way. With her out of the way, there was one less competitor for the heart of the prince of Ao. I had to choose. I took it on faith that she would protect me. After all, I was her little brother…right? Even in that shell of hers, she still had to understand that I was the younger twin to her older.

And, it wasn't as if I'd ever have a chance with the princess, anyway….

As promised, the princess let me have audience with her. She leaned forward when she saw me. She was perhaps less splendid than she was at the party, but nonetheless she was beautiful.

"Ah! The traysman from the gala in Daidaiiro! How pleasant. I suppose the queen has something she sent you for, or did you just come under your own power? Would she even let you do that?"

All the while she wouldn't stop smiling, just like that night. I fingered the implement sheathed in my pocket. I couldn't.

"Well, you don't have to stand by yourself," she said, getting to her small feet. She walked down from her chair and started toward me. I untied the makeshift sheath from around the bloody dagger.

She was mere meters from me. "So tell me: what has Daidaiiro-ojô-sama sent you for?" She was right up to me in the middle of the room. I looked right into her eyes. They were so warm for being blue-green. They were looking into mine softly, welcomingly. They were friendly eyes, but perhaps something else? Was she not as interested in Ao as my lady thought?

Her pretty green eyes grew wide in horror as I got lost in them. She backed away from me; my arm followed. Her head looked finally at her breast, whereupon a large red stain spread across her gown. The dagger…had my arm acted autonomously? I knew the last thing I was thinking about was the mission. Her look at her own blood was the last action of her head before she fell to the ground, breathing heavily. I stared at her, horrified at what I'd just done. She looked at me, gasping as her broken heart struggled to keep beating. She was expecting me to call help. But while I wanted very much to help her, I wasn't stupid. If I called for help, I'd be arrested and executed because, who else could've stabbed her in the chest? And if by some miracle the guards of Midori didn't have me put to death, my sister would be outraged that I didn't finish the job correctly, that I'd clearly chickened out, and she'd either have me killed or do it herself on-the-spot. I was screwed either way. The smartest thing was, however cowardly, to find my way out of their through a window and flee back to my kingdom. I cried that night.

The news was officially released the next morning. My sister seemed pleased but remained as stoic as she did on the day we learned our parents had dies. At least she seemed happy. My small condolence was that I'd satisfied her. I reminded her about the funeral, and that she had been invited to attend. She refused the invitation. She had no idea what her absence said about her role in the princess's death.

A man came in that day. He said he was a guard from Midori. Under the grill, it was impossible to recognize him. He pointed at me. He named me the murderer of the princess. He said there could be no other: I was the last to see her before her untimely death. I couldn't contain my shameful flush but tried to remain as my lady, stony. He then insulted farther by saying I lacked the brain to do it myself and moved his finger to my sister. Her face stayed the same, except for the faintest widening of her eyes. Also, her knuckles became white as she clutched her throne's arms. The man gave her a day to confess.

Which of course she had no intention of doing. So, in my sister's twisted mind, the only way to cover up bloodshed was, well, more bloodshed.

"The lot of them are worthless anyway. I didn't remember his face, so all the men have to die. And a kingdom is no good with only womenfolk, and the children can't survive alone. So, kill them all. It would be crueler to let them all die without the men."

"No."

"Pardon?"

I'd had enough of this. She had talked me into too much already in our short fourteen years. I wasn't having any more of it. "I'm not killing any more. Not again. That was horrible. You have no idea."

"You know I do."

"Your mind is sick and doesn't work like mine!" I shouted.

For once she looked at me like she was concerned. I melted in the gaze. She still had me around her finger. I was about to concede defeat when she spoke.

"Besides, your head's already marked. There's no way I could send you out there and expect you to come back. You've done enough."

She sent out everyone else to carry out the massacre. By Saturday morning, Midori was no more. The soldiers came back in the morning to their enraged kinsmen. She had sent out forty. Three came back alive.

I went to run an errand quickly when I overheard a meeting in the town square. On a soapbox in the center of a crowd, a woman in armor painted scarlet was giving a speech. I came closer.

"….taxes raised, productivity has been slashed! And all in the last two years! Now we see slaughter in our neighbor's yard? Isn't this enough? Haven't you had enough of this damn regime ruining every great thing about Daidaiiro?" The crowd roared. I hid behind an abandoned cart.

"She must be taken out! There is no other option! This has been going on too long!"

_Taken out_? Surely she didn't mean… I had to do something.

I paced in my quarters that night. I hadn't told her about the red knight's speech. I had to do something. I couldn't let her die. The tyrant taken out? Absolutely, but I don't think they were simply talking about taking her out of her position. We were talking gallows, the guillotine. I looked in the old cracked mirror on the wall. I hadn't a use for it in so long, I forgot how my own face looked. I didn't even see my face at first; I saw…my sister's….

_That's it_.

"I don't understand."

"Look, for once, do as you're told instead of giving the orders!" She looked like she'd just been slapped in the face.

"I can have you executed for that – "

"You still don't get it! They won't _listen_ to you anymore! They're far more interested in your head than mine! The entire plan is so that they don't _get_ your head! Now, again," I said, pressing a set of clothes into her arms, "wear these. Put on my cloak. And _run_. Run and never even think about coming back."

"And you'll follow."

I looked into her eyes. Their expression was unlike anything I'd seen. She actually wanted me there, by her side. Would she have ever had me killed? All of those times…was she just bluffing, knowing I'd do as told threatened with death?

"We'll see."

I saw she understood. She knew I wasn't coming back. Not this time. She dressed right there in front of me. I put on her dress. I felt ridiculous but had no time to reflect on it. I took the cutting knife from the table where I'd set it. I took all her hair behind her and cut straight across. She looked at me.

"Your hair's too short to be me."

"So I just keep the knife and scatter your hair on the floor around me. Looks like I just cut it. Like in your vanity." I smiled. She didn't return it.

"You have to come with."

"Onee-sama, you and I both know I can't."

She flung her arms around my waist. She had never been like this. Was this my sister? Or was I impersonating an impersonator? I pried her off. We had no other choice. She looked up at me, her face still blank, but the tears giving herself away. I kissed her forehead and pushed her away.

"Go!" I ordered. She turned and ran up the corridor. I gathered my skirt and ran after her, to show her the exit I just remembered I forgot to tell her she should use.

Once she was out, I returned to the throne room. I dumped the fistful of long blonde hair at my feet and sat in the throne, twirling the knife. I was as ready for it as I was going to get.

As I write this, I can hear the townsmen approach. I know my time is up. And I plan to face it with the stoic face I learnt from my sister.

Speaking of her… I don't know if she got out or got caught. After all, as the murderer of the princess of Midori, I was wanted too. I expect if she was caught, she'll be executed by my side. I doubt you'll ever read this, my Onee-sama, but I want you to know that every last thing I did in those short almost fifteen years we had together, I did for you. Every ridiculous, dangerous thing. All because I love you. Still. After all you've done, all you made me do, all you made everyone at your disposal do. And, if there is in fact another life waiting for us, I wouldn't mind – no, I hope with all my heart – I get the chance to be your twin brother again. And we'd have our childhood again, like we did all that time ago. And I'd still do anything to make you smile. Goodbye and good luck.


End file.
